I haven’t made chia seed pudding since 2009. The first experience was okay, but I’m not sure if I’m liking it more this time around because I like it better with rice milk or because my palate has changed. I’m thinking the latter is the reason. My love of desserts has stayed strong over the years, but I find myself looking for different kinds of desserts – more made from scratch and Not So Sweet.
I whipped this up on a whim not expecting to enjoy it much, but this was a time that curiosity paid off. From the first bite, I knew I’d made something to enjoy for the next few days. Seriously, I remember taking the first bite and being pleasantly surprised. Like “Heyyyyyy…this is pretty tasty!”. So far, I’ve eaten it straight up, with fruit, with nuts, and as dessert and a pre-workout snack (though I think it would make a great breakfast, too). I love a multi-purpose recipe.
Did you know chia seeds come in two colors? If you’re a chia seed expert, you probably already have both types and are rolling your eyes. But, for those new to the ingredient, it comes in white and black. According to this chia seed article on ehow.com, there is no nutritional difference between the two, so you can get whichever you prefer or can more easily find. I usually get mine from the bulk bins at my local health food store, but they’ve grown in popularity over the years, so you can find them almost anywhere. And then there’s Amazon prime…which may be going up $20-40. Doesn’t that stink?
Anywho, whichever color you end up purchasing, be sure to not skip the step below asking you to stir shortly after mixing up the ingredients. Those little chia seeds just loooove to stick together. If you leave the mixture for 20-30 minutes, it will look like the above left photo. After you stir it, it should start looking more like the right one. Much better!
This pudding is really versatile. The simplest serving I enjoyed was with sliced almonds.
My favorite was the chia seed pudding fruit parfait. Yum! I layered the chia seed pudding in between layers of fresh kiwi with some vibrant raspberries on top.
I also meant to stir some of the chia seed pudding into a smoothie, but I never did get around to making that smoothie. Maybe I’ll make it for breakfast today? I usually soak my chia seeds in a smoothie liquid for at least 10 minutes, so this is practically a short cut when it’s already made!
*Vegetarian, Vegan options below*
- 1 cup unsweetened rice milk (or milk of choice)
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon honey (or use agave or maple syrup for a vegan pudding)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a mason jar or medium sized bowl, add rice milk, chia seeds, honey, and vanilla. Whisk well until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover jar or bowl and place in the refrigerator.
- After about 20 minutes, remove the lid and give the chia seed mixture a good stir. They like to stick together, but if you stir them now, they'll stay pretty evenly spread out.
- Wait overnight (or at least until the liquid has been soaked up enough, about 4 hours). Serve and enjoy!
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Chia seed pudding seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it kinda thing. Personally, I’m a new fan. What about you?
I love chia seed pudding! I made a very similar one, but with yogurt in there.
Nice! Did you stir the yogurt into the chia seed pudding or layer it in a parfait? I was thinking of layering it with yogurt sometime, but I’m curious if you’ve mixed it into the pudding! 🙂
I stir the yogurt in with the chia seeds before the pudding sets. If that doesn’t make sense (it probably didn’t!) I make the pudding the night before with the seeds, yogurt and milk, and then it’s all ready to go in the morning!
This sounds tasty, I’ve never had it before but I may have to give a try this weekend!
Do it! Let me know what you think! 🙂
I tried this and left the chia seeds over night for some reason mine stayed as a liquid the chia seeds and mixture didn’t expand what did I do wrong is it the type of chia seeds I used? I had it sealed closed in a mason jar
Hi Jaclyn, Did you give the mixture a couple stirs? The chia seeds tend to stick together, so you have to let them sit after first putting it together and then give it another stir a bit later.